In the action research project report, the teacher researchers found that many kindergarten and first-grade students did not have the reading readiness skills to be reading at their benchmark target. The purpose of the project was to improve the students overall reading ability. The dates of the project began on September 8 through December 20,…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve the social skills of eight preschool students and four first grade and second grade students through the use of Social Stories and visual supports to create a more positive learning environment. The teacher researchers wanted to increase the social skills of students who had been diagnosed…

This action research project describes a program to increase the application of spelling skills in students' writing. The target population consisted of first grade students in a middle-class community in the northern suburb of a large metropolitan area. The problems of inadequate application of spelling skills to student writing were documented…

This paper describes a program for instilling spelling strategies to increase spelling transfer across the curriculum. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students in two middle-class communities located in the western suburbs of a large metropolitan area. The problems of students lacking spelling strategies and their…

This report describes an action research project designed to improve reading skills of first grade students. The targeted population consisted of two elementary classrooms located in a small, rural Mid-Western town. The problem of difficulty memorizing reading vocabulary words was documented through parent and student surveys and a document…

In traditional reading and CARE lessons (a curriculum used to help students learn to read and identify sounds), music is not played to enhance the learning environment. However, some studies have shown that when music is played during learning experiences there is more retention of the material. This research project compared the traditional…

This report describes a program for enhancing the phonemic awareness and phonetic ability needed when decoding print and spelling. The targeted population consists of first grade students in a growing suburban community located in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Evidence for the existence of this problem are documented through a letter…

This action research describes a program for improving mathematical problem solving skills. The targeted population consisted of first grade students in a transient, middle class community as well as third and sixth grade students from a growing, middle to upper class in Illinois. The concerns of problem solving were documented through teacher…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the Hello Reader Scholastic Phonics program as an addition to an already rich, literature-based curriculum. Test data suggested that primary grade students were not developing phonetic skills sufficient to meet district expectations. This research was designed to…

An action research project described a program for teaching spelling strategies to increase the application of spelling skills in students' writing. The first half of the targeted population consisted of gifted first grade students from numerous, stable, upper-middle-class communities in a large Midwestern city and the surrounding suburbs. The…

This report describes the development and implementation of an intervention for improving students' interest and academic achievement in social studies. The targeted population consisted of first and fourth grade students of different socioeconomic levels in northwestern Illinois. Problems were documented in student surveys, teacher observations,…

This action research project described a program for improving reading skills in the identified primary classrooms. The targeted population consisted of students in first and third grades. The third grade classrooms were located in a low socioeconomic area within an urban community of Illinois. The first grade classroom was located in a higher…

An action research study implemented a program for improving the reading ability of first-grade students who enter school with low reading readiness skills. The targeted population came from a mid-size, middle-class town in northern Illinois that has experienced recent growth and socioeconomic changes. The problem was evidenced by teacher…

This study describes a program designed to increase reading strategies in the first grade. The targeted population consisted of first grade students in a growing urban community in the Midwest. Evidence for the existence of the problem included records of low district and building reading assessments and academic grades to measure reading…

This report describes a program for advancing student writing skills through the use of systematic and creative phonics instruction. The targeted population consisted of first and fourth grade students in a middle class suburban community located in the suburbs of Chicago. The problems of poor phonics skills and writing abilities were documented…